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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · lash · rush · cell · staff · straw · bulb · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. staff — a stick
  6. suit — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. suit — to fit
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com